The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-06-23

heard her accen&
We learned great deal about Plymouth
we never knew before, or if we did, we had
forgotten it. We knew about the Pilgrims,
but we didn't know that Sir Walter Raleigh
went from here to his death; that Napoleon l
stopped in its harbor on his way To his just
deserts in 1915; that Sir Francis Drake, one
of the greatest of early mariners, made it his
headquarters, as it was his home, and he was
its mayor 800 years ago; that it was a Crom-
wellian stronghold; that Matthews, the great
actor, died here, and lot of other things one
learns only in guide book
There are very many old houses scattered
about Old Plymouth, and some of the ancient,
narrow streets set us back to time which
made even woman of my age feel young
and frisky. The modern town has many fine
buildings, public and private, municipal and
government, and week might be spent here
with benefit to the traveller.
Among the people two things struck me
forcibly. The first was the women; the other
was the Difference, the obsequiousness may
say, of the under classes The women were
the most robust lot l ever saw. They had
the pinkest cheeks and clearest SKINS the big
gest feet and the strongest arms and greatest
depth of chest imaginable. And how they
walkedl One young fellow (American) met
there said he had tried to make mash
Americans are not tie only adopts in this
manly art--but he had not been able to do so,
as he couldn't keel, up with the girl unless he
took cab, and then he always lost her in the
crowd. had always heard of the robustness
of English women, but until now had never
believed it.
As to the obsequiousness question. In
| America there is an independence among all
classes, which, if not always agreeable, is still
not so disagreeable as the servile politeness OF
the English subordinate. After days ex-
perience | would no more think of saying,
"Thank you, sir" than would to cut OH my
tongue Sir" is the special preroSative OF
the underling, and as pleasantly polite as 1t
sounds everywhere in America, it is alto
gether out of place in England under the
same circumstances.
1t is impossible to describe the impression
it makes upon YOU, but as democratic as we
Americans pride ourselves on being, don't
think one of us would ''sir" anybody in Eng
land after he had felt its effect coming from
a cart driver or hotel "boots." You flnd IL
too in the shops, and you begin then to Zee
what caste is and what social dlstlnctlo'
means.
There are only few titled people in Plyr
outh, and chief of these is the Earl OF Noun
Edgecumbe, lord steward to the queen, living
in his castle in Cornwall, just across the rive
from the town, and owning the freehold
of thousands of acres outside and inside thu
city limits. The house was closed for repairs
and "his lordship" was in London attending
to his duties as a courtier and member of tin
house of lords, but the grounds are opel
every Wednesday to the public, and we wen
over to see how nobility Vas fixed for hom
comforts. The castle is big and old and ugly
set on the side of the hill, but the 800 acr
park about it is lovely, and we ramble'
through it, catching enhancing views
woodland and hill, city and sea. We say
the head gardener, CHEEKY old English gen
tleman, even if he wasn't lord, and he wa
lust as polite as he could be, and let us int
the "orangery" and other places where tn
common herd couldn't enter The Granger.
gardener showed us about his place. and W
could scarcely realize that it was the prop
ertv of a private person. The old fellow toll
us the earl was the wisest man i'll the world
kind to all his people, and glad to meet ant
talk to any stranger who visited his place
He told us, too, that over 100 people wer
employed about the place, and many of them
now old, had lived there all their lives. Thi
and much more, SO that when we went ava
we almost wished that instead of being plat
and poor Americans, we were rich Englis
carls or earlesses or something of that sort
AS we passed out the gate Dickey gave til
old man q coin and O bewitching smile.
"Do you Think" said she, "that an Amer
can girl might become an earl's daughter-ir
law"
Begging your pardon, miss" said he, wit
q courtly bow, SHOULD l be the earl, Sd
could"
The compliment were too much for Dicke.
and she hurried me away. MARY JANE.